I’m super excited to announce my FronteraFest show this year — Haggis!

A couple’s search for adventure at a desert nudist resort lands them in rural Scotland with an inscrutable groundskeeper and inadequate wardrobe. A new comedy by Ava Love Hanna; starring Anne Hulsman, Weldon Phillips, and Travis Dean.

Remember that time I was attacked by peacocks at Mayfield Park and wrote an essay about it? Because I like to live on the edge, I returned to the scene of the crime and told a live version of the story, surrounded by the very same peacocks, for the Night of the Peacock Benefit organized by Max Langert and Cinnamon Path Productions.

My husband recorded my performance (probably in case we needed evidence for a peacock-attack related insurance claim) and it’s available to watch from the comfort of your peacock-free home.

I’m super excited to be participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this April. I’m primarily an essayist and poet, so I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo (the attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in November). But, I stumbled across the Camp NaNoWriMo website and saw that it offered the flexibility to work on a variety of writing projects including poetry, and I was intrigued. It’s free, fun, summer camp-themed, the t-shirts feature a Storysquatch, I’ll have an excuse to eat “working” s’mores — there’s nothing that could make me love this more.

I’ve been thinking about Hestia lately, the virgin goddess of home and hearth. Basically, her story goes like this: she was pursued by both Apollo (the god of the sun) and Poseidon (the god of the sea), but rejected both of them and chose to remain a perpetual virgin in order to keep the peace.

Last weekend I was sitting in the drive thru of a fast food restaurant (attempting to salvage our weekend after our son hated the South American food we had for lunch) when across the parking lot I noticed a hurt pigeon. One of its wings was stretched out at a weird angle like it was broken and it seemed to be in distress. Before I knew what was happening, I had my hand on my seat belt and was screaming to my husband, “Do I need to go help that bird?!”

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, the skies were clear, there was a slight breeze, but the peacocks… the peacocks were angry that day, my friends…

A few weeks ago, my son and I picked up lunch at the grocery store and went to Mayfield Park for a picnic. It’s a popular Austin park known for its historic cottage and brilliant peacocks that wander the grounds. I’d never been, but this seemed like the perfect way to spend an afternoon with my son. Peacocks are awesome, right?

Wrong. I would soon learn that peacocks are scary and Mayfield Park is full of them.

**UPDATE: We were selected as a Best of Week performance! Thanks to everyone who came to see us!

My play, Gender Tsunami, is playing at FronteraFest this Wednesday, January 20th at 8pm! If you’ve ever wanted to see me swap clothes with my husband and talk about gender fluidity, now’s your chance. The script was commissioned by the awesome folks at ScriptWorks.

When I was a kid, my favorite ride at Disney World was always 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I loved it. There was something wonderful about voyaging under the sea. Maybe it was the water, the colors, the fantastical ruins of Atlantis, or how my heart would race as the giant squid wrapped its tentacles around the Nautilus and all seemed lost before we wrestled free and triumphantly made our way back to the serene beauty of the tropical lagoon.

Sitting in a nook where a quiet residential street turns to meet the lively chaos of South Congress Ave in Austin, Texas, is one of Candy Chang’s Before I Die walls. Unless you happen to drive through the neighborhood, or walk back that way to avoid the crowds, it would be easy to overlook. It sits in a spot where domestic life, business, and recreation all intersect. The location is a perfect symbol for the wall’s message.

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About Ava

Ava Love Hanna is a writer, storyteller, and performer living in Austin, Texas. She vividly remembers the night her husband asked her if she wanted to go to Istanbul, but she thought they should have a baby instead. She stands by her choice, but is now very tired and still hasn’t had a decent cup of Turkish coffee.Read more about Ava >>

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I feel personally attacked by (and also love) this post. If you’re a sarcastic, cool kid like me, give it a read. Or whatever. It’s cool.
“It’s not easy being cheesy–which is why teens, and grown-ups, would rather mock things than go all in.” https://t.co/wn6YHz4BI5